Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-05-31
now n FEELS TO M HINGED.
THE exNsATIoN FULLY DESCRIBED nj CINE
WHO has BEEN THERE.

TNtw York Letter IA Nee York SHH.l
Theodore Baksr, Who wss hanged here
Friday for TIE murder OF Frank UnFuh,
In Collar County wished 20 be remem-
beEed as the one American vho was
hanged twice for single crime. In
conversation With the Sun coFrespon-
dent a short tiue Htter he bad received
word from Gov. Ross that there Was no
hope for hiai, Baker said;
''It 10 not the pain fearas all. have
been banged, and ! know what am
talking about. What sils me IA that |
don't went 10 die, and | don't think |
ought TO. Probably if you knew that
IN an instant you we're 20 be blown to
nOthineness, so that you could expert
enoe no suffering westsgeF, you would
appreciate bow feel about IL. As for
the mede u dealt, you can say that Il
is IS good ~ any other. and 1t don't
need 10 ee too artistieally done. either.
Why, when they hanged me first down
here by the railroad track. vas scared
half 20 death. They had no modern
appliances. and ! made up my mind
that they were going to give me ter
Fible struFg.e Of it, bat 70 was n0thinR
Of the sort. The mob swung me CT
from telegraph pole like they would a
leg, and then one or two OF them pull. q
my legs. hat isn't so almighty MICS,
but still IL don't hurt "a yen might
think Il wosld. | must have hung there
ten or fifteen minutes before the Sheriff
and his posse found me aud cut me
down. OF course 5v that time was
unconscious, bat remembered enough
of What had occurred 90 hanish any
fear that might have OF death on The
gallows. It's death in any form it comes
that object 10. IL have got to so /
bad Just as soon go by the rope as by
the bullet, aud had Reod deal rather
10 BY the rope than by the Knife or poi
son. You can say q is much for the Ia
formation aud comfort Of all She poor
RelloEa who will have 90 swing when /
am gone. Tell them TO brace up and
take u easy. They are going to die
easier deaths than three foarths OF the
fat old Jadgea who sentence them. and
Who expect to die in their beds. There
has been altogether TOP much writing
and talking on the subject of the bar.
barity of she 9allowe. Ian in favor OF
AbOlishine capital Punishment myself,
but II man must die, what's the use
of being too particular about she mode,
90 long as yeu have got a good enough
scheme now9'
Later ON. 10 speaking about bis crime
aud his two pants6msnts, one by the
mob and one by the Law. Baker said:
"under all the circumstances my crime
was not murder, anyway. had he
come involved ia a quarrel between In
rub ahd bis wife. and, foolish az that
was, Il wauid have led 60 nsthina more
II Unruh had not attacked me. bad to
kill him or be killed. The woman swnrs
against me IN order TO save herself. She
was scared 20 death because they
lynched me. and she was afraid that un.
less somebody swuug fer the crime ahe
might be called gu some dark night.
hot whether my crime was deliberate
murder OF net, | think hAvs been pun.
iehed enough. II IL more than year
since the mob lynched me. aud since
that time | have lived with a rope
around my neck ell the time. As have
said 20 you, my suieFings when | was
being resusoitated were greater than
they we're when vas hanging. Il took
me three months 90 set over tie effects
Of the lyuchiuR. Two OF three times a
day nv brain would be in a whiri. and
would lose all control ~ myself. Then
when ] slept | would go through il all
again. AZ length, when | WAS brought
90 trial snd vas convicted aud seutenes a
to death, had The rope snee more be-
fore me. TIE anxitty aheui The trial,
ans later about NV appeals, has worn
on me until my nerves are IN about a.
bad a coalition As thsv were when
was In TIE hospital at Ssuta Fe, and the
old complaint from which l suffered
when was recovering frem The lypeh.
ire has retarued. | havtn's siett tos
months without hanging by the neck
through u all. Can yol imagine wbAt
~ Is 10 De eaEselous sli the gre of
dangling 10 t6At wayG Asleep awake
have rope shaat my ueok. and |
know tNasilY hos ii feels think I
have bad eBoueh at tt. tat as they seem
90 thiHk Rsi IN thvs parts / suppose
shall have @ TAX. srme more. | can
tell yon, thuaEh. thas I den't want auv
body tN bring me 60 life this time.
When | - eGt tomofFow wiil Know
Just ShAt Is coWtne, and whpn tell The
sheriff 10 let me slide | viii be the hfss
nan 10 America WHO has lived year
and bali % say that = sreaud time 10 a
hEnnman.a
hakeF bad seytrsi 4srm friends here
who tAbored earnestly ia his behalf. and
who ? gard bis Iunishmens as ur}astly
severe. tie Wrut T. tie re az Il neb-
lngty. and iest before the trap vas
sprung. when the at,erdant shifted the
kuol = little, be heard RAksr saw:
That's siget. / have been 10 tee
saals OF tAy.hg Il a httle hggAeF ~"